Pokemon: Episode 1
by MattGannon
Summary: 18 year old Ash embarks on a journey of a lifetime to fulfill his destiny as a Pokemon Master. Join him in this more mature Pokemon adventure.
1. Episode 1

**Pokemon: Episode 1**

It's said that each of us has a calling, a purpose that must be fulfilled. Some wander through their days in search of this, and it may never come. Death may strike them down before they get the chance. But I have answered my calling, and tomorrow I start my journey to gain the wisdom of Pokémon training.

I'm going to be the very best, like no one ever was. Catching them is the real test, but training them is my cause. I will travel across the land in search of these creatures, and face every challenge, every battle, with courage and strength. My name is Ash, and I hereby declare to the Pokémon of the world, I will become a Pokémon Master.

I lay in bed as the moon shines through my window, lighting up the poster of the three starter Pokémon on my wall. Which do I choose? My mind races through the benefits of each while I toss my Pokeball alarm clock up and down. It feels natural in my hand. This comforts me.

Eventually, I fall asleep.

I shoot up in my bed, my shirt sticking to my back from sweat. The sun shines brightly into my window. Too bright for early morning. My alarm clock is smashed to pieces on the floor. Oh my God. I'm late. How can this be happening_? _I can't be late. My stomach tightens and I feel sick.

I sprint out of the house still in my pajamas, almost falling on the hardwood floor. I barely manage to get my shoes on as I run to Professor Oak's lab. Please let there be Pokémon left for me. There has to be.

I ignore the burning in my chest as I get to the Professor's lab as quickly as possible. I can just see it now; the whole town laughing at me, the stupid kid who can't do anything right.

"If only he were more like his brother. Then maybe his Dad wouldn't be so disappointed in him." They'd say to each other in pity. I force those thoughts away.

I hear a crowd cheering and clapping. My stomach tightens again and I think I might throw up. This is the biggest day of my life, and already I've screwed it up.

"Gary, Gary he's our man. If he can't do it, no one can!" A chorus of voices chants over the cheers and claps of the crowd. They nestled into the landing in front of the Professor's stairs. Gary. I should have known.

People turned to stare at me as I thundered down the path, sweaty and wearing yellow pajamas. I push through the crowd and squeeze through the cheerleaders, pompoms swinging and everything to get to the stairs.

"Sorry," I say, "Excuse me. I'm late and I just need to get through. Excuse me."

I bow my head and push forward until I collide with someone. I feel the wind knocked from my lungs as I fall onto my ass. I look up and see Gary Oak sneering at me.

"Watch where you're going, kid."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." I get up and brush the dirt from my clothes. I must look like hell. It doesn't matter. I just have to get to the lab.

"Well, you must be Ash. Better late than never, I guess." He says, laughing while his perfect hair rustles in the wind. The cheerleaders carry on with their chants. "At least you get to meet me." What a pretentious piece of shit. I imagine myself slamming my fist into his mouth, feeling teeth shatter and skin split open beneath my knuckles. He thinks that because he's Professor Oak's Grandson that he's entitled to everything.

"Whatever. I gotta go, Gary."

"That's Mr. Gary to you, kid. Show some respect. You snooze you lose. And you're way behind right from the start. I've got a Pokémon and you don't."

"You got your first Pokémon?"

"That's right, loser. And it's right inside this Pokeball." He pulls the ball from his belt and holds it up like some lost relic he recovered.

"Let's go Gary, let's go. Yeah! Yeah!" I wonder if Gary paid them. Wouldn't doubt it.

"Thank you fans, thank you all for this great honour. I promise you that I will become a Pokémon Master and make the town of Pallet known all around the world." I don't stick around to hear the rest of his speech.

I'm bounding up the stairs two at a time to get to Professor Oak. I'll show them. This is who I am meant to be.

**To Be Continued…**


	2. Episode 2

I can't believe I'm this late. There better be a Pokémon left for me. I'll take any one of them. They can all be good, I bet.

Oak's lab looks like its right out of a movie, with beeping computers sounding off and all sorts of screens and equipment lining the walls. I've only ever seen the inside of it once before, when I came to visit him with my Mother. That was a long time ago. Where is he?

"Ash? Is that you?"

"Yeah. Professor Oak?"

"Indeed, my boy." He says, appearing from behind a computer. His white lab coat ruffled slightly as he moves towards me, hand outstretched. I shake his hand, feeling the warped bones strain under the pressure. Decades of typing, I bet. "You look to be going to bed more than you do embarking on a journey. Better late than never, I suppose." He looks at me with interrogative eyes. What is he looking for?

"What?"

"Hm?"

"You're staring at me, Professor Oak. I just want to get started."

"Yes, yes of course. My apologies."

"Can I please just get my Pokémon? I'm already late and I want to get started. Veridian City is a long walk."

"Right you are, Ash. This way." He says as he turns and walks towards some sort of raised platform with a glass dome overtop. Is that where the Pokémon are stored for beginner trainers?

"How many are left?" I ask. He doesn't respond, instead hitting a button on the face of the module. The dome disappears and three holes open up with a soft whir. Three Pokéballs appear from within and settle on the top of the platform. My heart starts to beat faster and my stomach fills with butterflies. This is it. This is the moment I've been waiting for.

Professor Oak motions for me to choose one. I walk towards it, and I swear I can hear the Pokémon from inside. I reach out to the first one, ready to accept Bulbasaur as my first ever Pokémon. I hit the button on the Pokéball and it pops open. It's empty. My heart sinks.

"Empty?"

"Afraid so, Ash." He says, looking sad. I start to worry. What if they're all gone?

I open the next one. Squirtle is good, too. But it's empty as well. My heart sinks lower.

"Gone, as well."

"That's okay. Charmander is the one."

Please, let Charmander be left. I click the button and the Pokéball begins to shake. It pops open, and nothing happens.

"Early bird gets the worm, as they say. Sorry, Ash. They're all gone."

"No. They can't be." I see my whole life, the one I could have lived, flash before my eyes and then disappear like a cloud of smoke in the wind. "There has to be more." I can see the pity in the Professor's eyes, as if I'm a pathetic kid playing pretend.

"Well," he says. I look up at him, praying for that 'well' to be a good thing, "There is one more. But I don't think you'll want it."

"There is? Really? I want it. Professor, I need this. I'll take it."

"Ash, I don't know if-"

"Sir, with all due respect, I want to start my journey. I'll take it." He gives me that look again, studying me. He sighs and hits another button. A hole in the middle of the platform opens, and a single Pokéball is lifted to the top. A lightning bolt is engraved onto it. I've never seen that before.

"His name is Pikachu, but… there's something wrong with him."

"Pikachu…" I say, savoring the moment. My first Pokémon. I don't care what's wrong with him.

"This one has a major attitude. Refuses to stay in the ball unless forced."

"That's it? That's all that's wrong?"

"Well…" he starts, but I cut him off.

"I don't care, professor. I'll take him." I reach out to the Pokéball, eyes fixed on the lightning bolt. "Pikachu… I choose you." The ball explodes in a yellow light as it opens, and it spreads onto the floor beside me in a brilliant flash. It fades away, and in its wake lays a yellow creature the size of a small dog. It has pointy ears that stick up and a brown-tipped tail shaped like a lightning bolt. That's pretty bad ass. But the rest of him doesn't look like much. He looks like a big yellow mouse that stands on two feet. Pikachu's eyes flutter open, and I can tell he's pissed.

"Pika…" He says, looking up at me in contempt. His tail moves side to side in a slow, arcing motion. I swear I see a spark jump from the end of it.

"This is Pikachu. This is your Pokémon, now. And here is your Pokédex."

"My Pokédex?"

"It's a device that will help you on your journey. It's filled with all the information you need about the other Pokémon in the world. Refer to it when you need to know something. It will prove to be crucial to your success."

Pikachu scrunches his nose as he continues to look at me.

"Pika." He says again, walking towards me. I pocket the Pokédex and kneel down.

"Hi Pikachu. I'm your new trainer. Nice to meet you. We're going on a journey together." Should I pet him? He looks at me, as if to say "I fucking dare you." I decide that I should. I want to prove that I'm not a pushover, that I'm worth something.

He looks at my hand as I move towards him.

"I wouldn't do that, Ash." Professor Oak warns me, but I don't listen.

My hand makes contact with his fur; it's so soft. His tail twitches and he looks me in the eye. I see a spark, and then I am blinded by pain. A current of electricity tenses every muscle in my body as it swims through my veins. I'm knocked to the ground, unable to breath as every cell in my body is electrocuted. Black dots burst in my vision like little fireworks as I pray for it to stop. It does.

Pikachu is laughing at me while I try to catch my breath. Professor Oak has a smug little grin.

"I told you not to do it, Ash. Remember the attitude problem? Well that's part of it." I look at Pikachu, who's scratches his ear and plops to the ground, and then to the Professor. What in the hell just happened?

"Still want him?"

"Yes." I say, getting to my feet. Pikachu closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep. "He's perfect."

**To Be Continued…**


End file.
